Spring construction



May 17, 1927. H G. LORD SPRING CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan; 14. 1922 PatentedMay 17, 1927.

-IIARRY G. LORD, OF IPHILADELIEHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

. I SPRING CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed January 14, 1922.-v Serial No. 529,107.

One objectof this invention is to vprovide a co1npactsimple, ing aplurality ot' ly oppose movement of both of as a load is appliedthereto,

substantial device employ-v /s/prings so mounted and combined wlth otherelements as to yielding-l two members the invention alsoconteniplatimf.,r such an arrangement of parts as will cause saidsprings to also oppose movement of said members as these react orrebound upon the removal or decrease of said load.

` Another obj ect of the invention isto provide a novelcombinatiomvincluding a plurality of springs with a-'pair ofload-supporting members,

1n which said springs are mounted to operatively 'coact with eithermember so as to oppose movement thereof on either side of a neutralposition.

It is also desired to provide'novel 4means forV utilizing two springs toyieldingly oppose movement of two relatively movable load-carryingmembers, so that each of said springs s all be available to coact withone member when it moves in with the other member one direction and whenthls moves 1n an'` opposite direction; the invention furthercontemplating ly connecting novel structures for operativethe springsand load-supporting members as well as simple and durable means forsupporting and adjusting the springs with their associated parts.

Inese objects and other .advantageous ends attain as hereinafter setforth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in

which, Fig.

constituting my invention;

Fig. 2

the line 2f-2, Fig.

with their associated parts in their neutra positions;

1 is a plan of one form of the device is a longitudinal vertical sectionon 1, showing the springs l .opening into the cylindrical body 2, and

i Fig. 3 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 2, illustrating thepositions occupied by the parts of .the device when under load; Fig. 4is a trans the line 4 4, Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary of one of the plungers and sociated parts;

verse vertical section on vertical section certaln of its as- Fig. 6 isa fragmentary side elevation of one of the load-supporting members,showing one device for non-rotatably connectmg it to its associated camarm; and l by means of the springs Fig. 7 is 'a longitudinal verticalsection of 4the main portion of a modified form of my mventlon.

`\In theV above drawings 1 represents a su porting base or frame whichcarriesda subv stantially cylindrical body portion 2, This body portionmay be either integral with or connected 1n any suitable manner to said'base and may likewise be connected to or made to include tubularextensions 3 and 4,

which at their outer ends are respectively provided with heads or caps 5and 6. These extensions are axially in line with the body 2 and havemounted within them coil springs respectively indicated at 7 and 8.Mounted between these springs and engaged by their adjacent ends are twoplungers 9 and 10 slidably guided within the body and its extensions andeach having its face adjacent its cooperating spring recessed to form aseat v therefor as indicated in Fig. 5.

For assisting in guiding and sup orting said plungers, I mount axiallyWitlriin the body 2 and its extensions 3 and 4 a rod 11 which extendsthrough the plungers 9 and 10 and through sleeves 12 and 13 threadedinto the -heads 5 and 6 respectively.

These sleeves are preferably flanged or otherwise formed to receive awrench whereby they may be turned at will and theirv inner ends engagelpressure plates indicated at 14 and 15. respectively bearing againstthe outer ends of the springs 7 and 8. The rod 11 is freely slidablethrough these sleeves and its onter ends are threaded for the receptionof locking nuts in the form of caps 16 whereby relative rotation of saidsleeves is eifectually prevented'. j

The base 1 is formed with a chamber 17 having side walls provided-@byplates 18 forming bearings for an aligned pair of spindles 19 and 20.The inner or adjacent ends of these latter have integrally or otherwisefixed to them a pair of cam arms 21 and 22 both of which project betweenthe adjacent :faces of the plungers 9 and 10 with which they aremaintained in engagement 7 and 8. These cam varms project on oppositesides of the rod 11 and are designed to move in parallel planes havingin the present instance a spacing member 23 mounted between them andcarried upon a spindle 24 coaxial with their spindles I9 and 20.

The load-carrying members in the form otl arms 25 and 26 arerespectively tixed to the outer endsof the two spindles 19 and 20, andwhile the connection between these elements may be of any suitableconstruction formed for rigidly attaching them, I preferably form theouter end of each of said spindles with a series of teeth designed totit into the correspondingly toothed end of one of the arms 25 or 26, asillustrated in Fig. 6, said arm being preferably split as shown/in saidfigure and /provided with a bolt 27 whereby it may be immovably clampedin place. While the load-supporting arms may be arranged in any relationdesired, I have shown them iu the present instance in lilies at an angleto each other when the cam arms 21. and 22 are substantially paralleland in their neutral positions between the plungers 9 and l0.

When a load is applied to the arms 25 and 26, tending to cause theirspindles 19 and 20 to turn in their bearings andkthe cam arms 21 and 22to slidably move over the adjacent faces of themembers 9 and 10 into thepositions shown in Fig. 3, the latter of said arms acts upon theadjacent face of the plunger 10, causing it to slide outwardly in ,theextension 4 and compress the spring 8. At the same time the cam arm 21swings in the opposite direction so that it acts on the plunger 9 andcompresses the spring 7. Such compression continues until the force ofthe springs balances the load applied, although excessive compression ofthe springs is prevented by providing stops in the form of sleeves 30abutting against the heads 5 and 6 and of such a length as to be engagedby the plungers 9 and 10 when these have been forced apart to theallowable extent.

Obviously when the load is removed from the'members 25 and 26, thesprings 7 and 8 act to turn the cam arms toward'their neutral orparallel position shown in Fig. 2, although if the load should beremoved from said arms in such a manner that these tend to move pasttheir neutral positions shown in Fig. 2, the cam arm 22 now acts on theplunger 9 so that this rebound or reaction is opposed by the spring 7,while similarly the spring 8 acts to oppose the excessive movement ofthe cam arm 21 with its attached parts.

This peculiar and characteristic operation of my device is especiallyvaluable when it is used in connection with similar devices insupporting the body or chassis of a motor vehicle from the axlesthereof, since both springs of each device at all times serve toresiliently support the load and at the same time are both at all timesavailable to act in checking or cushioning the rebound or upwardmovement of the body, when the meinbers 25 and 26 or their equivalentsmove together past their neutral positions.

The tension of the sprmgs 7 and 8 may be adjusted at will byscrewing thesleeves 12 `and 13 into or out of the heads 5 and 6 so as to vary thepositions of the pressure vniay be formed with an axial extension 31 forthis purpose. 'lhe'possibility of the arms 25 and 26 working ofi' of theends of their sleeves 19 and 2() is eii'ectually prevented by providingthe spindle 24 with heads 32 which may be threaded toit if desired. l

While as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the cam arms 21 and 22 aremounted coaxially, I may if desired so mount them that they project inopposite directions from their supporting spindles between the plungers.For this purpose the body of the device is constructed as indicated at 2and it is provided with two similar projections 1 and 1a for supportingthe device on an axle or other structure. is rigidly fixed to thespindle 20, which is associated with the cam arm 22a while the member 25is fixed to the sleeve 19 which has the cam arm 21a. Said sleeve 19 isjournalled in the upper one of the frame members 1a while the sleeve 2().is journalled in ,the lower frame member 1 so that the cam arms projecttoward each other and extend between the adjacent ends of the two plun-4gers 9a and 10a which in this particular case are shown as havingflanges 35 which are arranged to engage the adjacent ends of thecylindrical extensions 3 and 4 to limit the compression of the springs,for which purpose they take the place ofthe sleeves 30 in Figs. 1 and 3of the drawings.

`In this form of the invention as in the other illustrated, if the loadto be supported is applied to the arms 25 and 26, while the frame 1 ismounted on a supporting structure, the spring 8 through the plunger 10ais compressed by the cam arm 22a, while the spring 7 is likewisecompressed by the cam arm 21a acting through the plunger 9". lf. as inthe case of the frame and chassis and axles of a motor vehicle, thesupporting structure 1 alternately moves down and then rebounds vasoccurs by reason of unevennesses in the roadbed or the like, the springs7 and 8 act to absorb the shocks due to such vibration and in the eventof their abnormal reaction, the cam arm 22a passes its neutral point andcompresses the spring 7, while the cam arm 21a likewise passes itsneutral point and compresses the spring 8. Thus, asin the In this casethe arm 26 lUU neaaaee other form of the invention, each spring acts tosupport a portion of the vload'as applied by one of the members orA 26and also to resist. abnormal movement of the other of said members suchas might be caused by the abnormal reaction of the other spring.

While both of the cam arms may have both edges substantially similarinoutline and be so formed as to bear on their plungers; with increasingleverage as they are moved from their neutral positions, as shown inFig. 7, I may form said arms as in Figs. 2 and 3 so that the length oftheir effective lever arms remains substantially constant when they aremoved in one direction from their neutral positions and is increased asthey are moved in the opposite. direction from suoli positions. Thus thetoe of each of the cam arms carries the dead weight l and the downwardthrust of the -load with a constant leverage, while the heel oi' vsaidarm resists' upward motion or rebound with a progressively increasingleverage.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that the plungers 9 and10' possess the advanta eous function of cooperating with the caslngs inwhich they are slidable to retard the action of the springs as these arecompressed or expanded from any given position, by reason of theircompression or exhaustion oi air confined in the parts 3 and 4 of thelbod This dashpot action is particularly use ul in applying a retardingor cushioning force to the movement of the plungers at the time that thecam arms 21 and 22 ass each other or when each cam arm shi ts fromengagement with one plunger to engagement with the other.

I claim:

1. The combination of a supporting structure; two springs mountedthereon; with two load-supporting members respectively having oppositelymovable portions projecting between said springs, each member beingpositioned to have its movement opposed b one sprin only when it movesin one irection an opposed by the other spring when it moves in theopposite direction and normally held from movement thereby in eitherdirection.

2. The combination of a supporting structure; two springs mountedthereon; two

load-supporting members respectively including arms positioned betweenthe adjacent ends of said springs and each placed to act on eitherspring so as not to ati'ect the other; with adjustable means forlimiting the compression of the springs under the action of said arms.

3. The combination `of two springs; two plungers respectivelycooperating with said springs; and two load-supporting membersprojecting between the plungers and mounted to both have their movementin either tending' between the adjacent ends of said direction opposedby one or the other of said springs, each of said s' rings being adaptedto be successively subjected to load and rebound conditions. l

4. The combination of a supporting structure; two aligned springsmounted thereon; two spindles; load-supporting arms on said spindlesrespectively; and two other arms respectively fixed to the spindles andexsprings, each arm being positioned to have its movement opposed by onespring only when it Amoves in one direction and opposed by the otherspring when it moves in the opposite direction.

5. The combination of a casing; two plungers guided therein; two springsmount-ed in the casing to act on the plungei's respectively; with a pairof load-supporting arms each including a portion extending between theplungers in position to act thereon to compress one o r the other of thesprings only when moved from a normal position, one of said springspositioned to cooperate successively with said supporting arm portions.

6. -The combination of a supporting structure; two springs mountedthereon; members 'acted on by the springs and mounted adjacent eachother; cam arms having a varying leverage extending between said membersin positions to each act on either member so as not to affect the other;and load-supporting elements respectively connected to said cam arms.

7. The combination of a supporting structure; two springs mountedthereon; members acted on by the springs and mounted adjacent eachother; cam arms extending between said members; and load-supportingelements respectively connected to said cam arms, the latter beingAformed to exert substantially constant leverage on said members vwhenmoved in one direction.

8.' Thev combination of a casing; two spindles journalled therein; twoplungers guided in the casing; springs operative on the plungers; camarms fixed to the spindles respectively and projecting between theplungers; with load-supporting arms connected to the spindles.

9. The combination of a supporting structure forming a housing; twoload-supporting members journalled on-said structure; two arms extendinginto said housing and respectively connected to said members and movablethereby in opposite directions when load is applied thereto; and a pairof springs positioned to oppose movement of both of said arms in eit erdirection from a neutral position. p

10. The combination of a supporting structure; two springs mountedthereon; two load-supporting members positioned to have their movementresisted by the springs both when a load is applied to theml and4 alsowhen they move as a result of the reaction vof said load, each springbeing positioned to be acted on byv both ofvsaid levers; and means -vfor`operatively associating said springs and said members, respectively,said members being in frictional engagement with said means.

1l. The combination of two plungers with cams between said plungersshaped to give relatively high and constant leverage under load andinitial relatively low leverage progressing to high leverage when theaction is reversed by rebound of said load.

12. The combination of a supportingr structure; two springsmountedthereon; two-load supporting` members respectively including armspositioned between the adjacent ends eaeli including a portion extendinbetween the plungers in position to 'act t eren to compress one or theother' of the springs when moved from a normal position, the

plungers being formed tov cooperate with the casing to act as dash potswhen the loadsupporting arms shift from engagement with one of theplungers to engagement with tlie`A other.

14. In combination, a supporting struc-'7' ture; two springs mountedthereon; two

load-supporting members respectively ineluding arms positioned betweenthe adjacent ends of the springs; and means adapted to serve as dashpots to retard movement of said load-supporting members, said arms beingso formed as to exert a varying leverage under predetermined operatingconditions.

15. The combination with two plungers; of relatively movable camspositioned there, dbetween, said cams beingsoformedas to exert a varyingleverage under predetermined operating conditions, said cams being insliding contact with said plungers.

HARRY G. LORD. i

